Means for cleaning fibrous materials



Feb. 9 1926.

1,572,662 G. A. LOWRY FIBROUS MATERIALS MEANS FOR CLEANIN Fil'ed Sept. 6 I 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Feb. 9 1926.

G. A. LOWRY MEANS FOR CLEANING FIBROUS MATERIALS Filed Sept. 6, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV NTOR W BY V$ Z S ORNEfi Feb. 9 1926.

G. A. LOWRY MEANS FOR CLEANING F IBROUS MATERIALS Filed Sept. 6, 1924 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR -Y a; ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 9, 1926.

" GEORGE A. LOWRY, or NEW-.YORK,

N. X., ASSIGNOR TO JOHN T. FEUGE AND L. RICH- IMOND BROWNE, BOTH OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

unans ron CLEANING rnmous MATERIALS.

Application filed September-6, 1924. Serial No. 736,264.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, -GEORGE A. LOWRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Means ,for Cleaning Fibrous Materials, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to a fiber cleaning and fiberpreparing machine which is designed. and adapted to efficiently and economically handle flax, ramie, hemp and other fiber. producing plants for the urpose of expeditiously removing the woo y portions fromthe fiber and at one i and the same time obtaining the full fiber or reed. for long spinning units or threads; another object of my invention includes the production of, a machine of the'type described which isinexpensivc to manufacture, easilyandeconomically operated and which can be readily transported and quickly placed in readiness for operation.

A further object includes the production ofa safe but suflicient machine for the preparation of flax and other fiber suitable for spinning units, for weaving and for other .pur oses. r v

Othero jects will appear hereinafter and Inattain these objects bythe machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

which:

-Fig. 1 is a .fview in. side elevation of a. machine embodying theprinciples of my invention.

a Fig. 2 is anendelevation thereof.

operating mechanism. a -Fig-4 isa plan view thereof. Fig. 5 is an end view thereof.

- Fig. 3is aview showing-the rack bar and mFig. 6 is an enlarged detail showing throughout the several views.

It is among the prime purposes of my linvention to'provide a; simple-and inexpensive machine which will clean the .fiber offlax,

Like numerals refer tosimilar parts and the like, by finely subdividing or breaking the woody portion of the stalk without damaging or greatly disrupting the fiber. This is accomplished by a series of fluted rolls operating in pairs and so arranged or constructed that the stalks are bent or folded together transversely of the direction of travel of the material. By this action the bent or broken woody pieces receive end-on crushing action of the rolls, which action causes the broken woody pieces or chives tobe loosened or stripped and pushed out of the fiber-portion in the manner set forth in my co-pending application, Serial No. 736,265 of even date herewith, for method of cleaning and preparing fibrous materials. The chives thus loosened readily dropout of the fiber bundle during the last stage of operation, and they are readily shaken out by hand or by boaters. Noviolent beating is required, however,' for this purpose and the fiber mass is found to remain in contact as longlribbon-like threads. The machine is arrangedto be operated by footpower of'thetwo attendantswho operate it, or it may be operated by any suitable motive power, if desired. a I

As a practical embodiment ofmy invention, to which, however, I do not desire to be limited, I provide pairs of intermeshing and interlocking operating units, 10,10 11, 11 and 12, 12 These units comprise solidrolls which are rotatably mounted on suit-, able journals 13,13, 14, 14: and .15, 15, and

" which journalsoperate in bearings 16, '1 16, 17, 17 and 18, 18. These bearings areisup ported. on crossbars 2-1 of the supporting frame 22 and arein'pairs. One set of these I bearings, namely those for supporting rolls 10, 11 and 12, fixedly hold the journals,-while its company bearings forrolls' 10. 11 and 12 are provided each WlthWSlOt 23 in which is held member. 24 by springs 25. By this construction one of each ofthepairs of rolls is fixed whileits companii'on roll isumov able laterally and is held'by a tension spring 25. Each spring-25 is properly tensioned by a tension screw 26 which pressesagainst a tension block 27. The rolls are provided with fluted surfaces or ribs 20, 20 which intermesh in a particular manner to .be more fully described below and the 1 fixed rolls are provided with means for giving a positive rotative backand forth movement for operating on the fibrous materials. In its simplest form the power is from foot.

treadles 28, which are mounted on the crank arm 29 to one end of which is a crank lever 30. This lever is connected with a bell crank 31 which in turn is fastened on a journalc32. The journal is properly supported in bearings 33 on. a cross beam 34 of the main frame. Journal 32 carries also the beater drive pulley or sprocket wheel 35 and the transmission crank 36. To crank 36 is attached the pitman 37 for driving the rack bar 38.* This bar slides back and forth in its rack frame 39 which is fastened by suitable pins 40 to the supporting frame members 21.

Rack bar 38 is provided with gear teeth 41 which mesh with the gear teeth 42 of the gear wheel 43. This gear wheel is loosely mounted on journal 15 and carries on either face a pi-Votally mounted-dog 44 and 45. These dogs are disposed in opposite directions and are.held in depressed position by suitable means as tension springs 46 and 47 for the purpose of engaging their respective ratchet wheels 48 and 49. The ratchet wheels 48 and 49 are both fastened to journal 15 and cause the same to rotate when corresponding ratchet wheel 48 whenever the rack bar 38 is moved downwards, while its companiion dog is effective only for a portion of the upward movement of the rack bar 38 as it returns to its initial position.

This ineffective action is caused by pin 50 on dog 45 meeting and riding on cam 51 to be raised out of engaging position for approximately one-half of the return stroke. The combined action of the two dogsand associated elements will accordingly cause the gear wheel 43, and therefore also its journal and attached roll, to rotate approximately half a revolution with each down stroke of the rack bar 38, while the return or upward stroke of said bar, due to the cam action,

is effective for only a quarter return or backward. rotation.

This motion is imparted to the com anion rolls as follows: The flutings of 1'0 1 12 engage the flutings of roll 12 an'd therefore will cause the forward half turn and the backward quarter turn of roll 12 to be imparted to roll 12 and in so doing the oppositesides of the flutings will press against the respective offered sides of the'flutings "of its companion roll and thereby cause special splitting action on the fiber, as will be more fully discussed in my companion 'application of even date herewith.

To impart the oscillatory backward and forward vmovement of the drive roll to the companion rolls above, any suitable means may be provided. To this end I have provided a sprocket 52011 which chain 53 rides and imparts its motion to afsiorocket 54 on journal 14, to thereby cause its roll ll to move in unison with the initial drive Sprocket and its roll 12. Roll ll'imparts its movement to-rol1 11 in the same manner position and are driven by a belt or chain 61 from. the drive pulley or sprocket 35 and a fly wheel 62 maintains a uniform motion ofthe machine.

The machine is further provided with a hood 63, having a hopper 64 into whichthe fibrous plants arefed through the elongated opening 65 in the feed guide 66. i

From the description given above, the operation will be readily understood andis as follows:

Where the machine is operated by foot power, an operator is stationed in front of the machine, or to the left of Fig. 1. This operator feeds the fibrous plants into the hopper 64 and at the same time places his foot on the end of his treadle 28 to move the same up and down. A second operator for receiving and removing the treated and cleaned fiber stands or sits to the right of the machine (Fig. 1) and he likewise applies his foot to his end of the treadle 28 to assist in the operating of the machine. This action is well understood and as the rack bar is thus caused to move up and down, it imparts its full forced between-the flutings 20 and the woody material is thereby broken or cracked at somewhat regular intervals in somewhat the.

manner illustrated in Fig. 8. With the return or upwardstroke, however, of the rack bar and its gear, dog 44 is ineffective, but its companion 45 becomes operative, owing to the opposite position. Because of the cam '51, however, (log 45 will be lifted out of engagement at the desired interval and for the proper time so that the rolls-will all bereversed in unison at-such a time as is most effective. In practice I have found that for flax a quarter reverse motion is ample to properly bend and crowd together the stalk and fiber sections. This quarter return motion is then succeeded by a half forward in rolls 10, 10 and 11, 11- removes the broken woody parts of the plant by end on pressure as it were, and at the same time causes a most desirable action on the fibers themselves in the production of the full reed Without much rupturing and splitting action. As the forwardand backward action continues, the entire stalk or bundle of stalks. is fed through the machine and comes out,

below onto the receiving pan 67, to be there taken by the receiving operator and subjected to the beater 60, to fully and completely finish the cleaning process and to draw out and straighten the crumpled fibers. Fibers thus cleaned and straightened are of a high one direction alternated wi i intermittent movement of said membersin the other di rection, the relative movement of said pairs of rolls being such'as will cause the plant stalk'to be folded transversely of its'forward movement, to be then subjected to end-on breaking or disruptiveaction of said successive rolls to strip the chives. out of the fiber material. 2. In a machine for removing the woody parts from thefibrous parts of plant stalks, the combination of a plurality of members mounted to rotate in unison in either direc tion, and means to cause said members to reftate positively in onedirection alternated with intermittent' reverse movement in the opposite direction,saidniovement 1n theop 1 posite' direction beingle'ss than the moven'ient in the forward direction, whereby the plantstalks vare broken and folded to thus subjectvthe folded stalk to the disruptive action of successive the chives.

3.- In a machine for cleaning the woody part from the fibrous part of plant stalks, the combination of a' plurality of members rolls for the removal of anounted to rotate in unison in either direction, and means to cause-said members to ro tate positively in one direction alternated with intermittent reverse movement in the opposite direction, said positivemov'ementin "one direction being approximately twice the distance of movement in the reverse direction', whereby the stalk is broken and folded to receive a disruptive action from 'succes said broken" woody parts from the fiber.-

at. In a machine for eliminating the woody periodically in t part -"from the fibrous flax material is folded upon fibrous materials,

' part from the fibrous part of plant stalks,

the combination of a plurality of fluted rolls 5. In a machine for removing the woody broken portions of the woody stalk to end-breaking.

portion from "the fibrous part of plant stalks,

the combination of a plurality of fluted rolls mounted in pairs, the fl'utings of each pair of rolls "interlacing and being of successive varying sizes. for each'pair of rolls, drive members connected to one member of each pair and means for causing one of said connected members to move-half a tu f ward intermittent with a quarter of a turn backward, to thereby act iepeatedly on the fibrous material to break the woody portion and fold the same and to feed said folded portion to successive rolls, and means to supply said material to said rolls.

6. In a machine for cleaning fibrous plant stalks of the'woody part, the combination of aplurality of fluted rolls mounted inpairs,

means to operate said rolls at the same speed, and means to cause the plant stalks to be folded whereby the folded parts are subjected to end-on disruptive actions of "siiccessive rolls.

7. In a machine for vfreeing the woody part of plant stalks, the combination of a plurality of fluted rolls mounted in pairs, the flutingsof each pair of rolls interlacing and being of successive varying sizes foreach pair of rolls, drive 5 members connected to one member of each pair and means for causing one of said connected members to move half a turn forward intermittent with a quarter of a turn back-' ward, to cause the plant stalk to be folded and the woodypart to break and receive disruptive end on action of successive rolls. 8. In a machine for cleaning flax, the combination of a plurality of fluted rolls mounted in pairs to rotate at uniform speed, means to adjust one of each of the pair ofrolls and driving means, for the other of said pair of rolls whereby said rolls are caused to move in unison, a gear mounted to move back and forth, and means carried by said gear for causing its motionicobe fully transmitted tosa id rolls in one direction, and means associated with said gear for causing its motion to be only partially transmitted to said rolls in the reverse direction, whereby the itself and is then subjected to end-on crushing.

9. In a'machine for cleaning and treating a plurality of members rotatably mounted, means for causing said a reciprocating rack bar for operating said means whereby the fibrous material is folded upon itself and'is then subjected to endon crushing action of successive pairs of rolls.

10. In a machine for freeing the-woody part from the fibrouspart of plant stalks, the combination of a plurality of fluted rolls mounted in pairs, the flutings of each pair of rolls interlacing and being of successive varying sizesfor each pair of rolls, drive members connected to one member of each pair and means for causing one of said connected members to move half-a turn forward intermittent with aquarter of a turn backward, to cause the plant stalk to be folded and the woody part to break and receive disruptive end-0n action of successive rolls, and means to cause the broken chives to be dislodged.

11. In a machine for cleaningand treating fibrous materials, a plurality of fluted rolls mounted in pairs and having their flutings intermeshing, adjusting means for one of each roll of said pairs of rolls and drive means for the other of each of said pairs of rolls, a rack bar, power means to drive said rack bar, a gear wheel co-opermounted in pairs and having their flutings intermeshing, adjusting means forr one of each roll of said pairs of rolls and drive means for the other of each of said pairs of rolls, a rack bar, power means to drive said ra'c-k bar, a gear wheel co-operating with said rack bar, dogs on said gear, a ratchet member for each dog, said ratchet members being in positive connection with one of the drive rolls and having their effective teeth extend in opposite directions, whereby but one dog becomes effective as the gear moves forward and backward in unison with the rack bar, and means for rendering one of the dogs ineffective during a portion of said movement.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 25th day of August A. D; 1924. 3

' GEORGE A. LOVVRY. 

